The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Ondo state

  • Road Expansion: Akeredolu pays affected properties owners.

    Ondo State governor, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu has started fulfilling his administration’s earlier promise of compensating residents whose properties were affected by road expansion in the Northern Senatorial District of the state.

    Akeredolu, who commenced the payment of the compensation at the palace of Olukare in Ikare-Akoko, said the payment would be in phases.

    Represented by the Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure, Mr. Taofiq Abdulsalam, the governor said the first set of the people to receive cheques were the property owners between Oke Alabojuto and the Central Mosque, opposite Olukare’s palace.

    Abdulsalam said the governor had graciously approved that adequate compensation should be paid to all property owners along the road corridors to ensure that construction works started in full fledge.

    He therefore advised recipients to make judicious use of the money.

    In his speech, the Olukare of Ikare-Akoko, Oba Akadiri Momoh, commended Governor Akeredolu for fulfilling his promises to the people.

    According to the monarch, the governor’s action has shown that he is pro-people.

    Read Also: Herdsmen/farmers clash: Akeredolu preaches peaceful coexistence

    The Olukare appealed to the people whose properties had been marked for demolition to cooperate with the state government and the contractors, as the construction works continued.

    The Chairman of Akoko North-East Local Government Area, Mr. Rafiu Eniayewu, said the people of Ikare would remember Akeredolu for what had done in the town.

    Speaking earlier, the Director, Lands Department, Ministry of Lands and Housing, Nicholas Fayeun, said acquisition of road corridors for expansion was done in the area to ensure that construction complied with approved standard.

    Two of the recipients, Venerable Olusola Adeosun and Madam Wuraola Jimoh, spoke on behalf of their colleagues.

    They praised the governor for giving them a lease of life after their properties had been demolished to give room for road expansion.

    A total sum of N13.9 million was disbursed at the ceremony which was attended by eminent sons and daughters of the town.

  • Ondo poly workers cry out for salary

    WITHOUT salary for nine months, workers of the Rufus Giwa Polytechnic in Owo, Ondo State, are threatening to go on strike. The Academic Staff Union of Polytechnic (ASUP) said its members could no longer work under the present condition, asking Governor Rotimi Akeredolu to come to their rescue.

    ASUP Chairman Comrade Rafiu Ijawoye, who spoke exclusively with CAMPUSLIFE, said the academic staff had been going to classrooms on empty stomachs. He deplored a June 28 memo issued by management,  apologising for the delay in the payment of June salaries.

    He condemned a statement credited to the Governing Council Chairman, Mr Banji Alabi,  that all workers’ salaries had been paid up to May 2018.

    Ijawoye said the workers’ union viewed the claims as “a calculated attempt to misinform the public and governor of Ondo State” of the true situation of things.

    The only salary paid to workers, Ijawoye maintained, was that of January, 2018. He said the outstanding salaries included October to December 2016, January 2017, February to June 2018, as well as the cooperative deductions for June to September, 2016 and April to May, 2017.

    He said no fewer than 10 academic staff members had died, adding that some union members were on admission at the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Owo.

    Ijawoye explained that many sick lecturers,  did not have money for treatment.

    He said: “Academic staff, who are important part of the school’s workforce, are dying slowly. We have lost no fewer than 10 members of the union to the cold hands of death. Several members have been sick, but there is no money to take care of them since they are being owed nine months arrears of salary and other remuneration.

    “Many lecturers have been thrown out of their residences due to inability to pay their rents. Others can’t feed their families, even many trek from their homes to teach student in class and also trek back home after fulfilling their daily assignemnt.

    “These members of academic workforce are dying of hunger and this is why we are appealing to  Governor Akeredolu to come to our aid to save us from death and starvation as stomach infrastructure is very important.”

    Ijawoye said the union would meet to discuss the next line of action if the school failed to pay them.

    He listed other agitations to include non-accreditation of some of the school’s programmes.

    The programmes, he said, could be denied accreditation because of non-payment of the school’s subvention.

    He said: “We are witnessing decaying infrastructure in the school, while ongoing projects are being abandoned. There are also inadequate lecture rooms, acute shortage of accommodation and non-availability of seats in lecture theatres. There is hopelessness in the school and this is also being felt by other state-owned institutions whose monthly subventions and other financial benefits are not provided.”

    Ijawoye described the suspension of the three workers’ unions in the institution as illegal.

    ASUP, Senior Staff Association of Nigeria Polytechnics (SSANIP) and Non-Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (NASUP) were suspended following members protests. The protesters allegedly barricaded the school gate, chanted anti-management slogans and carriedplacards with various unrpintable inscriptions.

    Ijawoye said the school displayed “constitutional illiteracy” when it denied members of the unions’ freedom of association.

    Efforts to get the school’s reaction failed.

    At the office of the Rector Mr Idowu Ologunagba, our repoter was turned back by a worker, who claimed the  helmsman was not ground.

    The school’s Director of Public Relations and Protocols, Mr Ojo Samuel, he declined comment.

  • Flood sacks hundreds in Ondo riverine community

    No fewer than 200 residents of Ayetoro, a riverine community in Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State have been displaced by water surge from the Atlantic Ocean.

    Sources said more than 25 houses in the community with values were eroded.

    According to a resident, Emmanuel Aralu the ocean began to overflow its bank on Saturday night.It caught man residents unawares.

    He confirmed that more than 25 houses were affected while no fewer than 200 people were sacked by the ocean.

    Properties worth millions of Naira were said to have been destroyed during the surge.

    Read Also: Eight die in Ondo road crash

    Aralu said “the surge occurred in the middle of the night when many people had retired to bed. We only  tried to pack some of our belongings out, but when we noticed that most of the houses had been submerged, we had to evacuate the people from their houses.”

    The community leader urged the state government to assist people in the community.

    He said the embankment project by the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has failed to prevent ocean surge in the area.

  • Three dead in Ondo road crash

    A fatal road accident involving a timber lorry laded with logs and people sitting on top of it has colluded with an in-coming Hilux Toyota van, claiming three lives on the spot.

    Others injured were rushed to the Ondo State Specialist Hospital Ikare-Akoko by men of the Federal Road Safety (FRSC) Ikare Unit Command for treatment.

    The accident occurred along Ikare-Agbaluku-Arigidi Akoko road.

    The Sector Commander, Ondo FRSC, Rotimi Adeleye blamed timber lorries for the way they load logs on lorries and sit on the top of vehicles.

    Read Also: Police arrest 3 ritualists,11 others in Ondo State

    According to him, the act is unacceptable, stressing that they did not have regards for their lives.

    Adeleye noted that he had discussed the issue of timber lorries with Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu on how to reduce the menace.

    The Chief Medical Director (CMD) of State Hospital, Ikare, Dr Wale Oguntuase confirmed the death of three persons in the morgue, one with head injury referred to the Federal Medical Centre (FMC) Owo and others with various degree of injuries.

    The Divisional Police Officer (DPO) for Okeagbe-Akoko, Adetarami Ibitayo, a Superintendent of Police (SP) has made arrangement for the removal of the vehicle.

    He added that investigation had commenced on the matter.

    An Observer, Kehinde Ojuolape lamented that Ikare-Agbaluku-Arigidi road had recorded many road accidents in the recent times and called for the construction of speed breakers.

  • Police arrest suspected killer of Ex-Ondo Deputy Governor’s daughter

    Ondo State Police command has arrested Adeyemi Alao suspected to be the killer of the daughter of former Deputy Governor of the state, Miss Khadijat Oluboyo.

    Khadijat, daughter of Lasisi Oluboyo who was also a one-time Commissioner in Ex-Governor Olusegun Mimiko’s Cabinet was found dead in Alao’s residence on Sunday.

    Sources said the deceased had died almost six days before her corpse was discovered inside her boyfriend’s room.

    The suspect was said to be staying permanently in Abuja.

    It was learnt that Alao had made attempts to bury Khadijat’s corpse in his house at Oke-Aro area of Akure.

    Read Also: Ondo ex-deputy governor’s daughter found dead

    According to a source, he had dug a grave in the room, before nemesis caught up with him.

    Khadijat, a-20 year old final year student of the Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko was said to be fond of visiting her ex-lover each time he came to Akure from Abuja and usually passed the night with him.

    There were speculations that the suspected killer was a “yahoo boy” who planned to use her late girlfriend for rituals Police spokesman, Femi Joseph, a Superintendent of Police(SP) said the suspect was arrested by a team of detectives from the State Criminal Investigations Department (CID).

    He said the suspect, who was already in police custody has been cooperating with the police on relevant information on the circumstances that led to the death of Khadijat.

    Joseph said the Commissioner of Police will address the press after they conclude their investigations on the matter.

    He assured that the case would be thoroughly investigated with a view to establishing facts behind the death of the Ikare-Akoko born University final year student.

    The PPRO said the suspect and others who might have involved in the death of Khadijat would be prosecuted.

  • Lawyer, Police clash during Court session in Ondo

    There was a mild drama on Wednesday at a Magistrate court in Ondo State as a lawyer and police officer engaged in a brawl.

    Before the clash, there had been heated argument between the lawyer and the police officer which resulted in physical combat inside the court room during proceedings.

    It however took the intervention of security operatives in the court to bring the situation under control after some minutes of disorderliness which also affected the court proceedings.

    The police officer who was a prosecutor in charge of a case before the court was said to have insulted the lawyer who was also appearing for a defendant in the same case before the court.

    Trouble started when a matter involving a middle aged man whose name was given as Afeez Smith who claimed to be a biological son of a former Inspector General of Police (IGP) Mr. Musiliu Smith and used the name to dupe one Fabode Akinsola and others including police officers.

    Read Also: Youths protest alleged neglect in Ondo

    The case which was brought before Magistrate B F Ajibade was said to have generated serious controversies and the court had granted the accused person bail in the sum of N1m with two sureties.

    The court insisted that the two sureties must be resident within the jurisdiction of the court and must present evidence of tax payment.

    However, at the resumed hearing of the case, the lawyer in company of the sureties informed that the whereabout of the accused person was unknown to him.

    But, the police prosecutor told the court that the lawyer lied before the court on the whereabouts of the accused person, insisting that the development suggested that the accused person had jumped bail.

    The police prosecutor said the accused person had absconded because of another criminal offence he allegedly committed.

    This prompted the lawyer to rise  and went straight to the prosecutor after which they engaged in physical combat.

    The development threw the court into rowdy session for some minutes as litigants and others inside the court scamper for safety.

  • W/Cup: Ondo viewing centre ready for Nigeria, Iceland cracker

    Some relaxation and viewing centres in Okitipupa, Ondo State, say they are ready to host fans for the Super Eagles and Iceland match on Friday in the ongoing World Cup in Russia.

    A check by our reporter on Thursday in Okitipupa revealed that relaxation centres have stocked beers, pepper soup, serviced their electricity generators, wall screen TV’s and properly arranged their centres.

    The operators who spoke with the News men said they made good sales during the Nigeria versus Croatia match which informed their decision to prepare well for the Eagles and Iceland match.

    They urged football fans across the country to rally support and pray for the Eagles to triumph to the next round.

    Mr Ayo Sehindemi, a relaxation centre operator, told our reporter that football fans were left with no option than to patronise them since Okitipupa and its environs had been in total blackout for the past four years.

    Read Also: World Cup: Don’t give up on Super Eagles, Ekweremadu urges Nigerians

    He told the News men that his sales had increased since the beginning of the World Cup, especially during the Nigeria/Croatia match.

    “You know this town does not have electricity for the past four years, so we are expecting more football fans here and that is why we are preparing to welcome more customers,’’ Sehindemi said.

    Another operator, Mr Ade Famorisin, who also said he recorded high sales during the last Nigeria/Croatia match, said he was putting finishing touches to his preparations.

    “Many of the football lovers preferred relaxation centres to watch football for them to exchange views; the more they come, the better for us,’’ Famorisin said.

    Mrs Ann Ahmed, who regretted her out-of-stock problem on Nigeria’s match, said she was fully prepared for the Nigeria/Iceland match.

    “I pray that Nigeria would excel in tomorrow’s match because we will have more customers when they win,’’ she said.

    Mr Peter Babajide, a viewing centre operator, said his sales increased since the beginning of the World Cup and urged Nigerians to pray for the Eagles to win their match against Iceland.

    Another viewing centre operator, Emeka Ifeanyi, also said that he had serviced his electricity generator and ensured that everything was in order, noting that he was optimistic the Eagles would win against Iceland.

    “The Eagles technical crew should do their best, I support Eagles because if they did not win this crucial match, then it’s the end of the road for us to record high sales,’’ Ifeanyi said.

    The News men reports that Eagles have zero point because they lost 2-0 to Croatia in their first Group D encounter.

    Their match against Iceland on Friday will determine their fate at the ongoing World Cup.

  • Wife’s family kills husband over minor scuffle in Ondo

    Tragedy struck at Ifira in Akoko Southeast local government area of Ondo state on Tuesday night when a 45-year old, Adelogba Ademuyiwa of Oke-Ififa quarters in the town was reportedly lynched to death by family members  of his wife over a wrangling between the wife and the late husband.

    Sources said Late Adelogba took the wife from another man few months ago.

    The wife suspected that the late husband was planning to marry another wife.

    Read Also:Husband ‘beats’ expectant wife to death four months after wedding

    During the midnight scuffle between the couple, the wife reportedly fainted and was rushed to Ifira Health Centre in Akoko Southeast local government area for treatment where there was a reprisal attack by the siblings and families of the wife.

    They allegedly pounced on the husband beating him with sticks and cudgel leading to his death.

    The Divisional Police Oficer (DPO) for Isua-Akoko, Abiodun Ojediran, a Superintendent of Police (SP) confirmed that the midnight distress call prompted him to rush to Ifira and carried the corpse to Ipe-Akoko General Hospital Mortuary.

    There was tension in the community as the husband’s families were planning to revenge.

    The Area Commander for Akoko, Razak Rauf has already dispatched more officers to the area to avert crisis.

    He stressed that those arrested in connection with the matter would be prosecuted.

    The Asiwaju of Ifira-Akoko, Chief Boboye Ojomo has however sued for peace in the community.

  • Ondo Monarch hails Sultan for uniting Muslims

    The Olubaka of Okaland in Ondo State, Oba Yusuf Adeleye has said that Ramadan can only manifest on Muslim faithful when they continue with good work they did during the religious exercise.

    These include charity to the needy, good speeches, abstinence from adultery, drinking of alcohol and others that the only month forbids for Muslim.

    The monarch commended the Sultan of Sokoto, Saad Abubakar for his leadership style that unites Muslim Umah.

    Read Also: Two die in Ondo road crash

    Also, the National Organizing Secretary ,Ansar ud deen (AUD) Society of Nigeria, Ibrahim Kilani commended the federal government for waging war against corruption describing it as major problem facing African countries  leading to their backwardness.

    Kilani urged Muslims to always preach peace and those things that can tarnish the image of the country.

  • Labour Party: Mimiko betrayed us at our darkest moment

    Says Party has no candidate for Ekiti election

     

    The Labour Party (LP) said on Wednesday that former Ondo State Governor, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko would not be welcomed back, accusing the former governor of turning its back on them at its darkest hour when the party needed him most.

    The party also said that it was not sponsoring any candidate for the July 14 governorship election in Ekiti State, saying anybody currently parading himself as the Labour Party candidate should be treated as an impostor.

    Addressing a news conference at the NLC secretariat in Abuja, National Chairman of the party, Dr. Mike Omotosho supported by the NLC President, Comrade Ayuba alleged that the former governor was trying to use the party to regain political relevance once again, adding that the part will not allow him do that this time.

    He said “It has come to our knowledge the moves by the immediate past Governor of Ondo State, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko to return to the Labour Party. Nigerian workers Wish to put a disclaimer to this ill-fated adventure.

    “The Nigeria Labour Congress is fully aware of plans by Dr. Olusegun Mimiko to destabilize the current gains being made by workers to reclaim and reposition the Labour Party. It is very obvious that the sole purpose of Dr. Mimiko’s re-approach to the Labour Party is to use the party to launder his sagging political image.

    “Nigerians would recall that Dr. Mimiko abandoned the Labour Party for the People’s Democratic Party a few days to Labour Party’s October 2015 National Convention.

    “Such a treachery and betrayal of a party that gave the former Governor succor in the darkest hour of his political career especially as manifest in his two term victory on the ticket of Labour Party is to say the least, cheap and callous. it also revealed paucity of knowledge of the philosophy of the Labour Party as a peoples’ rooted party and dearth of class consciousness on his part.

    “The Labour Party is an offspring of the working class family and was midwifed by the labour movement. it is the political vehicle for Nigerian workers and the Nigerian poor.

    Read Also: Mimiko calls for more investment in education

    “It was founded on the cornerstone of ideological clarity and class consciousness to promote and defend the political cum socio-economic interest of the working people. There is no doubt that political journey persons like the former Governor of Ondo had in the past taken advantage of the leadership challenges in the Labour Party to satisfy their fantasies for political opportunism.

    “Well, all those have changed. The labour movement, in alliance with its civil society partners and other patriotic Nigerians, is poised to fully reclaim the Labour Party and restore it as a model political institution that does not only epitomize the Values of the working class family but also capable of contesting for power with members of a failed political class, with whom the former Governor dines and wines.

    “While the leadership of Congress continues to work to rebuild the Labour Party especially through the instrumentality of our Political Commission, we urge all workers and indeed genuine lovers of popular democracy to ignore the political theatrics of people like the former Governor of Ondo State.

    “He has shown Nigerian workers that he cannot be trusted. The Labour Party is no longer a transit bus to strange political destinations particularly under the subterfuge of people like him.”

    Speaking on the forthcoming governorship election in Ekiti State, Omotosho said the party has no candidate for the election, saying “the Nigeria Labour Congress wishes to categorically disown and-condemn recent posturing and proclamations by some ‘ politicians in Ekiti State that they are the candidates of the Labour Party in the forthcoming governorship elections in Ekiti State.

    “The Labour Party has no candidate in the July 14, 2018 governorship election in Ekiti State. lNEC, workers and the Ekiti electorate should not allow themselves to be hoodwinked by the antics of political impostors.”

    While asking aspirants wishing to contest election on the platform of the part6 to deal with the Screening Committee of the party only, he warned that “on no account should anyone engage in any form of financial transaction on issues related with the Labour Party with A. A. Salam and Julius Abure.

    “Right now, the Labour Party is pre-occupied with strategic repositioning aimed at re-energizing our capacity as a people for issuebased politics and ideologically driven political contestations.

    “We urge politicians like the former Governor of Ondo State to stay clear of the new Labour Party because we are aware of their gimmicks to lure the Labour Party in the direction of other political parties with the hope of rehabilitating their dwindling political relevance. As they say “once bitten, twice shy”.

    NLC President, Ayuba Wabba said on the occasion that the Labour Party which was registered by Organised Labour and its civil society allies was not a place where anybody can jump in an Court at will, adding that the time when people come in to use the name of the party to earn political gains was over as the “owners of the party”were ready to reposition it to challenge for office in the next elections.